Woodland Park spruced up after contractor bulldozed land

Becky Houston and Pat Rutledge, members of Friends of Woodland Park, head through the renovated area of the park.

Becky Houston and Pat Rutledge, members of Friends of Woodland Park, head through the renovated area of the park.

Photo: Mayra Beltran, Staff

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Plants, irrigation system, and wooden staircase can be seen in the renovated area of the park after it was illegally bulldozed by a developer of nearby townhomes several months ago. Following a settlement with the city and a fine to the developer, the park was able to receive money for renovations on April 15, 2014, in Houston, Tx. ( Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle ) less

Plants, irrigation system, and wooden staircase can be seen in the renovated area of the park after it was illegally bulldozed by a developer of nearby townhomes several months ago. Following a settlement with ... more

Photo: Mayra Beltran, Staff

Image 3 of 4

Plants are nourished by a new irrigation system at Woodland Park, one of Houston's oldest public spaces. A section of the park had an eight-month renovation. A 100th anniversary celebration will be held Saturday. less

Plants are nourished by a new irrigation system at Woodland Park, one of Houston's oldest public spaces. A section of the park had an eight-month renovation. A 100th anniversary celebration will be held ... more

Photo: Mayra Beltran, Staff

Image 4 of 4

Pat Rutledge and Becky Houston enjoy the renovated area of Woodland Park. The project was funded by a $300,000 settlement between the city and a townhome developer after an unauthorized land clearing.

Pat Rutledge and Becky Houston enjoy the renovated area of Woodland Park. The project was funded by a $300,000 settlement between the city and a townhome developer after an unauthorized land clearing.

Photo: Mayra Beltran, Staff

Woodland Park spruced up after contractor bulldozed land

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Native plants and freshly mulched trees and bushes brighten a stretch of parkland near White Oak Bayou where a bulldozer last year tore through a beloved neighborhood park.

The seedlings are nourished by a new irrigation system of white plastic-coated pipe, while some of the surviving older trees provide shade to a new stair-stepped trail that leads down to the bayou.

Nearly an acre of Woodland Park, which turns 100 this year and is one of Houston's oldest public spaces, looks brand new thanks to an eight-month renovation project funded by a $300,000 settlement between the city and the townhome developer at the time of the unauthorized land clearing.

"The transformation is amazing," said Pat Rutledge of the caretaker group Friends of Woodland Park.

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The public can get a closer look Saturday during a 100th anniversary celebration, attended by Mayor Annise Parker, that also celebrates the renovations. Woodland Park, on nearly 20 acres north of Interstate 10 and west of I-45, has been a city park since 1914.

"When you came through here, you were sure you were in the piney woods of east Texas," Rutledge said. "It was so dense you couldn't hear the traffic noise."

He said he was excited the city was so supportive in getting a settlement from the developer.

SWA Group, a global landscape architecture, planning and urban design firm, helped design the renovations of the park and provided expertise free of charge, Rutledge said. The Houston Parks and Recreation Department worked through the Houston Parks Board to restore the park, as much as possible, to its original condition.

Townhome developer Bill Workman previously told the Chronicle that the clearing was the result of a miscommunication with his contractor. He said he did not authorize the work. Construction on the City Homes of Woodland Park began last year. Seven townhomes are planned for the property on the edge of Woodland Park. No criminal charges were filed.

Under the terms of the settlement, reached with several parties, none admits to any "causation" or liability.

Friends of Woodland Park, formed in 2007, has been working to beautify the park for years. Member Becky Houston, who lives nearby, said she regularly walks her dog Pip in the park. She recalled the original path under the thick trees was "magical." She conceded, however, that the area had been a haven for homeless people and may not have been safe at night.

"I'm so happy with the way it looks," Houston said. "It's sparse, but we know how things grow."